Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates Inc

TO ADVOCATE FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN.

FAIRFAX CASA PROVIDES A SINGLE-FOCUSED SERVICE AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAIRFAX COUNTY JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT. OPERATING UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COURT, FAIRFAX CASA CONTINUOUSLY RECRUITS, SCREENS, COMPREHENSIVELY TRAINS, AND PROFESSIONALLY SUPERVISES CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE AS COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA VOLUNTEERS) FOR ALL CHILDREN RESIDING IN THE COUNTY WHOSE FAMILIES ARE CITED FOR ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THE ROLE OF A CASA VOLUNTEER IS DEFINED IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. CASA VOLUNTEERS DO NOT MAKE A DETERMINATION OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT, BUT ARE EMPOWERED BY A COURT ORDER TO (1) CONDUCT AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF EACH CASE; (2) MONITOR EACH CASE FOR COURT-ORDERED SERVICES; (3) WRITE AND SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT TO THE JUVENILE JUDGE HEARING THE CASE, ALONG WITH A RECOMMENDATION AS TO THE CHILD'S BEST INTEREST; AND, (4) ASSIST THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE, A GUARDIAN AD LITEM, FOR EACH CASE. IN SHORT, THE ORGANIZATION SEEKS TO ENSURE THAT EACH CHILD'S NEEDS ARE IDENTIFIED AND ADDRESSED, WITH THE GOAL OF LIVING IN A SAFE AND PERMANENT HOME. THROUGH THIS SERVICE TO THE COURT, THE INVOLVEMENT OF A CASA VOLUNTEER IN THE LIVES OF ABUSED OR NEGLECTED CHILDREN PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT INTERVENTION DURING A PERIOD OF INTENSE CRISIS FOR THE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ALSO BE PREVENTIVE BY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE RECIDIVISM OF CHILDREN BACK INTO THE COURT SYSTEM FOLLOWING INITIAL CASE CLOSURE AND ALSO REDUCING FUTURE RISK OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ALONG WITH THE RISK OF REPEATING THE CYCLE OF ABUSE AS AN ADULT.IN PURSUIT OF THIS SINGLE FOCUSED OBJECTIVE, FAIRFAX CASA UNDERGIRDS ITS PROGRAM WITH STRONG GOVERNANCE AND IS DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO CARRY OUT ITS COURT-MANDATED DUTIES. A CORE ACTIVITY OF FAIRFAX CASA IS THE RECRUITMENT OF WELL QUALIFIED AND THOROUGHLY SCREENED VOLUNTEERS TO FULFILL THE ORGANIZATION'S PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVE. 28 HIGHLY QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS WERE SWORN INTO SERVICE DURING FY22. PROGRAMMATICALLY, FY22 WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR FAIRFAX CASA AS IT WAS ABLE TO SERVE 267 CHILDREN WITH THE STRONG ADVOCACY OF 133 VOLUNTEERS. CASES CLOSED FOR 76 CHILDREN WHO WERE REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILY OR WERE ADOPTED. CASA VOLUNTEERS SUBMITTED 262 OBJECTIVE REPORTS TO THE COURT, WHICH INCLUDED MORE THAN 1,809 BEST INTEREST RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILDREN; JUDGES ACCEPTED AND ORDERED 89% OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. CASA VOLUNTEERS MADE 3,859 IN PERSON VISITS TO CHILDREN, HAD 32,287 CONTACTS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS, DONATED 18,459 HOURS OF THEIR TIME TO THEIR CASES AND DROVE MORE THAN 78,928 MILES IN FURTHERANCE OF THEIR ADVOCACY DUTIES. IN ADDITION TO REQUIRING 35 HOURS OF PRE-SERVICE TRAINING, CASA VOLUNTEERS ARE REQUIRED BY THE CODE TO COMPLETE 12 HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION/IN-SERVICE TRAINING ANNUALLY. TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT, FAIRFAX CASA OFFERED 67 CONTINUING EDUCATION SESSIONS DURING THE YEAR, LOGGING A TOTAL OF 168 HOURS OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING AT THE FAIRFAX CASA OFFICES, AS WELL AS PROVIDING CREDITS FOR OVER 269 HOURS OF INDEPENDENT, APPROVED STUDY.